Publication - Impact assessment
Coronavirus (COVID-19) - prolonged home working for Scottish Government staff: equality impact assessment
Equality impact assessment (EQIA) for prolonged home working for Scottish Government staff and new safe and secure workplace arrangements in response to COVID-19.
Stage 3: Assessing the impacts and identifying opportunities to promote equality
| Age | Positive | Negative | None | Reasons for your decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation | X | The measures introduced to support staff continuing to work from home and the new building protocols to ensure safe and secure workplaces should be designed in such a way that it will not create unlawful discrimination related to age. | ||
| Advancing equality of opportunity | x | x | There are potentially positive and negative impacts on older and younger people Working from home allows everyone to limit contact with others out of the home and shield if necessary. This helps older people who are at a higher risk of ill health due to Covid-19, and all ages with underlying health conditions to maintain existing working patterns. Older people can have increased levels of social isolation (compared to younger people) due to Covid-19 as a result of extended periods of homeworking with no face-to-face contact with peers and little opportunity to network. The opportunities for young people to network in the workplace or be visible in a range of work settings is no longer there as a result of home working. Furthermore, there are challenges with on-boarding new or inexperienced colleagues and limitations in the ability to mentor or develop people, particularly those earlier in their career, who are generally younger. Younger people in Scotland are more likely to be financially vulnerable and in unmanageable debt before the pandemic. They may therefore find it harder to afford suitable work place adjustments to allow for effective home working and other essentials. People with childcare responsibilities, including grandparents, may have additional caring responsibilities due to school closures and period of home schooling. This can mean staff with caring responsibilities need greater flexibility, may be unable to take on additional or time pressure work and have less time to apply for new roles or take on development activity. There is concern from some that this would impact on longer term career progression. | |
| Promoting good relations among and between different age groups | x | x | Whilst working from home may help reduce the gap between older and younger people because interactions are [‘invisible’], it may also lead to more prejudice due to the lack of workplace interactions and friendships which can break down misconceptions. If WFH long-term there are less opportunity for workplace interactions against different groups, risks of isolation by tech generation (typically younger) as they stick to their own networks and little opportunity to socialise across Scottish Government’s diverse workforce |
| Disability | Positive | Negative | None | Reasons for your decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eliminating unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation | x | The measures introduced to support staff continuing to work from home and the new building protocols to ensure safe and secure workplaces should be designed in such a way that it will not create unlawful discrimination related to disability | ||
| Advancing equality of opportunity | x | x | There could potentially be positive and negative impacts on people with disabilities. Disabled people are more likely to experience exacerbation of already poor physical health due to Covid-19 so home working allows for less interaction with others (e.g. during the commute, in the workplace, etc.) to minimise exposure. With no commute, home working may better support the needs of some disabled people. However, with no workplace interactions disabled people are more likely to experience exacerbation of already poor mental health due to loneliness and reduced mental wellbeing and restrictions in the ability to undertake physical activity. Home working and relaxed flexible working policies may make it easier to access essentials at a time that better suits some disabled people. If a disabled person had additional equipment in the office to support their working arrangement, then it is possible they will not have similar equipment already in the home making home working more difficult. On returning to buildings, all new safe and secure building protocols will need to be inclusive to ensure all users of our building can access the areas they need to unimpeded. Many disabled colleagues are feeling anxious about return to workplaces and there are many issues that individuals are thinking about. However, disabled colleagues are excited about what the medium and longer term opportunities for different working arrangements given the new flexibility and innovation seen during the previous 12 months. | |
| Promoting good relations among and between disabled and non-disabled people | x | x | Whilst working from home may help reduce the gap between disabled and non-disabled people because interactions are [‘invisible’], it may also lead to more prejudice due to the lack of workplace interactions and friendships which can break down misconceptions. If WFH long-term there are less opportunity for workplace interactions against different groups, risks of isolation by tech generation (typically younger) as they stick to their own networks and little opportunity to socialise across Scottish Government’s diverse workforce |
| Sex | Positive | Negative | None | Reasons for your decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eliminating unlawful discrimination | x | The measures introduced to support staff continuing to work from home and the new building protocols to ensure safe and secure workplaces should be designed in such a way that it will not create unlawful discrimination related to gender. | ||
| Advancing equality of opportunity | x | x | Women are more likely to be balancing part-time, caring and/or schooling if working from home for sustained periods, which can have a negative impact on wellbeing. Home working reduces the opportunities for networking and potentially career-progression. However, flexibility around hours of work and location can be positive to opening up opportunities for both existing and new employees. At a UK level, over the period of lockdown Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) organisations observed significant increases in crisis work with victims. Home working and reduced interactions with others can increase the risk of domestic abuse for both genders with more time spent indoors. Women in the UK continue to be more lonely than men and without workplace interactions, levels of loneliness can increase due to home working. | |
| Promoting good relations between men and women | x | The measures introduced to support staff continuing to work from home and the new building protocols to ensure safe and secure workplaces are unlikely to impact on the promotion of good relations between men and women. |
| Pregnancy and Maternity |
Positive | Negative | None | Reasons for your decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eliminating unlawful discrimination | x | The measures introduced to support staff continuing to work from home and the new building protocols to ensure safe and secure workplaces should be designed in such a way that it will not create unlawful discrimination for pregnant women. | ||
| Advancing equality of opportunity | x | x | Home working supports pregnant women to continue working fully whilst adhering to social distancing rules. It can also provide greater flexibility for any appointments that may be needed and the home may provide a more comfortable physical working environment. With more than 1 in 10 women developing a mental illness in the perinatal period, home working and a lack of social interaction with peers could exacerbate mental health. For women who return to work after a period of maternity leave, the physical office environment may look very different as a result of the new safe and secure building protocols. This may increase levels of anxiety about returning to work and uncertainty of what to expect. | |
| Promoting good relations | x | The measures introduced to support staff continuing to work from home and the new building protocols to ensure safe and secure workplaces are unlikely to impact on the promotion of good relations between pregnant women and other people. |
| Gender reassignment | Positive | Negative | None | Reasons for your decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eliminating unlawful discrimination | x | The measures introduced to support staff continuing to work from home and the new building protocols to ensure safe and secure workplaces should be designed in such a way that it will not create unlawful discrimination related to gender reassignment. | ||
| Advancing equality of opportunity | x | x | Covid-19 has exacerbated already increased levels of mental health problems for trans people. The workplace is one of the most likely locations for transphobic discrimination and harassment to occur, and therefore working from home limits discrimination from peers. A comfortable and supportive home environment can also provide more privacy and security However, longer periods at home can mean greater abuse from unsupportive families or partners, contributing to increased stress or distress, and increased risk of abuse. | |
| Promoting good relations | x | Digital home-working could enable a more inclusive environment for all where all colleagues are treated equally with no labels. |
| Sexual orientation | Positive | Negative | None | Reasons for your decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eliminating unlawful discrimination | x | The measures introduced to support staff continuing to work from home and the new building protocols to ensure safe and secure workplaces should be designed in such a way that it will not create unlawful discrimination related to sexual orientation. | ||
| Advancing equality of opportunity | A recent LGBT Foundation survey showed that 42% of LGBT people would like to access support for their mental health. That number rises to 66% of BAME LGBT people. Home working during Covid-19 has already shown to exacerbate existing mental health issues and therefore continued home working can further impact mental health with longer periods of social isolation and no contact with colleagues. Long periods at home can mean greater abuse from unsupportive families or partners, contributing to increased stress or distress, and increased risk of abuse. | |||
| Promoting good relations | x | Digital home-working could enable a more inclusive environment for all where all colleagues are treated equally with no labels. |
| Race | Positive | Negative | None | Reasons for your decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eliminating unlawful discrimination | x | The measures introduced to support staff continuing to work from home and the new building protocols to ensure safe and secure workplaces should be designed in such a way that it will not create unlawful discrimination related to race. | ||
| Advancing equality of opportunity | x | Higher rates of underlying illness may mean higher numbers in shielded groups and therefore home working will limit social interaction and can help existing working patterns to continue. | ||
| Promoting good race relations | x | x | Continued working from home may lead to greater isolation in communities and limited societal integration. However, digital home-working could enable a more inclusive environment for all where all colleagues are treated equally with no labels. |
| Religion or belief | Positive | Negative | None | Reasons for your decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eliminating unlawful discrimination | x | The measures introduced to support staff continuing to work from home and the new building protocols to ensure safe and secure workplaces should be designed in such a way that it will not create unlawful discrimination related to religion or belief. | ||
| Advancing equality of opportunity | x | We are unaware of any relevant and existing evidence, at this time, on the religion or belief protected characteristic in relation to the policy. Consultation may seek views from representative organisations on whether the policy proposals are likely to have any disproportionate effects. | ||
| Promoting good relations | x | The policy is unlikely to impact on the promotion of good relations between married people and those in a civil partnership, and those not in a similar relationship. |
| Marriage and Civil Partnership[8] |
Positive | Negative | None | Reasons for your decision |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eliminating unlawful discrimination | x | The measures introduced to support staff continuing to work from home and the new building protocols to ensure safe and secure workplaces should be designed in such a way that it will not create unlawful discrimination related to marriage or civil partnership. | ||
| Advancing equality of opportunity | x | We are unaware of any relevant and existing evidence, at this time, on the marriage or civil partnership protected characteristic in relation to the policy. Consultation may seek views from representative organisations on whether the policy proposals are likely to have any disproportionate effects. | ||
| Promoting good relations | x | The policy is unlikely to impact on the promotion of good relations between married people and those in a civil partnership, and those not in a similar relationship. |
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